


Love I'll Land

by cassandra_wh0



Category: Love Island (UK TV)
Genre: #Cherrygate, #MCofColor, #QueenofBoops, Casa Amor (Love Island), Denial of Feelings, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Love Island: The Game Season 2, Multi, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29930304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandra_wh0/pseuds/cassandra_wh0
Summary: When thriving musician Raven comes to Love Island, she's looking for love despite her inability to commit. Will amber eyed pastry chef Bobby McKenzie be the one for her, or will she leave the island just the way she started?
Relationships: Arjun/Elijah (Love Island), Bobby McKenzie/Reader, Elisa/Marisol (Love Island), Felix/Priya, Graham/Marisol (Love Island), Ibrahim/Jo (Love Island), Lottie/Gary Rennell, Lucas/Reader





	1. Day 1, Summer Starts Here: Welcome to Paradise!

* * *

##  **Day 1, Summer Starts Here: Welcome to Paradise)**

* * *

My name is Raven Russell and I intend to be the next winner of Love Island one way or another. My friends might describe me as a masochist. I mean, what else would you call someone who agrees to a reality tv show pressuring the best couple to rise to the top all while sleeping in communal bedrooms? During my interview for the show, I said I was there to find love, but my true intentions were less savory. I wanted to have fun for once and not throw myself head first into the lap of the first guy who remembered my name. 

In this game of “love”, there is one golden rule. To make it to the final, and be in with a chance of winning the grand prize, you’ve got to couple up or clear out. I’m ready to flirt, fight, and find love, but I would like to propose the word _finesse_ as well. I intend to rule this villa with a titanium fist and take that 50,000 dollars as mine and mine alone. It’s time for my ultimate summer romance with a humble jackpot.

Ten of the hottest and most eligible singles on the planet all in one villa, and I’m one of them. The thought alone is insane to me. I always was a bit of an ugly duckling up until the summer of Year 9. Now I am a carbon copy of my mother with her same dark brown skin, full two tone lips, curvaceous body, and silver tongue. She moved us from Jamaica to England after my sister got into Oxford and there I sang wherever I could just for the fun of it until, one day, someone recorded a performance of mine and it blew up on social media. Almost overnight my rendition of “Into You” skyrocketed to number one and my name was catapulted into flashing lights: Raven Russell. But eventually my stage name became ‘Rave.’

I’d actually filled out my application for Love Island before my career took off and, no later than an hour after my cover released I received confirmation that I would be in the next season of the show. Good thing I didn’t have any songs to perform at a theoretical concert, I suppose.

I took a Jeep straight to the Villa from the airport with private security and decided to take a small nap before I got to the villa. I’d need all the energy possible when I got there. As we pull to a stop at the front, someone takes my bags and scurries into the Villa with them as I step out one leg at a time. I make sure I properly foot my strappy hot pink wedges, as I step out, shutting the Jeep door carefully. It already feels like home as I take in the enormous structure and sparkling windows. The sky is blue above and I shield my eyes from the blazing hot sun. What a contrast from my current home in Warrington.

“Oh, hi there! That outfit is incredible!” I turn and come face to face with another girl. She stands with her hands on her hips, and smiles. She’s beautiful with a cool dark brown skin tone and long crochet braids pulled into a ponytail by a red bandana. Her two piece bears the colors of the Ethiopian flag, yet what catches my attention most is the way the geometric pattern of her bikini reminds me of pineapples. She smiles at me and extends her hand. “I’m Hope. What’s your name, hun?”

I shake her hand. “I’m Raven.”

“It’s so nice to meet you!” She glances back at the building behind us. “I can’t believe we’re finally here! How are you feeling?” I’m totally chill as I feign any pattern of thought. I know exactly what I plan to do. 

“I’m excited to snog the boys,” I admit, biting my lip at the thought. Hope laughs and nods in agreement. 

“Same, babe. I’ve been looking forward to this for so long. I was so excited I almost tripped jumping out of that car. I nearly started my summer of love flat on my face!” She shakes her head. “Can you imagine how that would have looked?” The Cleveland, England in me nearly jumps out to clown her, but I think better of it. 

“That’s because you’re drop-dead gorgeous.”

“Babes, thank you! You’re stunning too. These boys are definitely in trouble. I can’t wait to get a look at all the gorgeous guys we’re going to be hooking up with.” She pauses and hums. “Speaking of which, shall we go and have a look inside? I want to check out the bedroom.” We make our way to the communals bedroom and take a look around. It’s painfully colorful in here like the set of a drag show at an 80s carnival. “Look at this bedroom! It’s so fresh, but I can’t imagine what it will look like tomorrow. You know we’re all going to get into bed with a guy we just met?”

I hold back a laugh, considering my tactic for being in the villa. Will I be the promiscuous girl? The crowd pleasing mediator? Or what about the instigator? Maybe the hopeless romantic? I would shun the last if I didn’t have the slightest suspicion that Hope here for more than bits and giggles.

I push my goddess braids over my shoulders and glance at my feet. “I hope I fancy one of them.” 

“I bet they’re all going to be gorgeous. I’ll be so disappointed if I’m not into them. Obviously I’m looking for something long-term, but it’s been a while since I’ve even been on a date.” She nods slowly, seeming to be speaking to herself more than me. “If there’s a handsome strong-and-silent tupe, I don’t know if I’ll want to wait around…”

We’re interrupted by the sound of the door clicking open and another voice calling out. The two of us watch expectantly for the next arrival. She’s as pale as a a full moon and has a half shaved head of platinum blonde hair dyed pink at the ends (though I noticed her roots appear to be growing in black. Her eyes are a pale green and in stark contrast with her heavy mascara and eyeliner. She’s got something of a sleeve tattoo on her left arm, a tattoo of a tree on her left thigh, and woodland landscapes tattooed on her feet. Her pearly whites are outline by her matte purple lipstick. She adjusts the strapping of her purple pentagram two piece and grins. Meow. “Hey girls!” She runs over to Hope and I and hugs us both. She isn't’ all that tall. Even in her six inch heels she’s only barely taller than me and has a few inches to go to surpass Hope in height. “The name’s Lottie!”

We chat for a while and I eventually gather that she is a 24 year old makeup artist from Melbourne whose lucky number is 13. That’s the most interesting thing about her, eh? You don’t say. 

Lottie looks me up and down. “You guys are going to be some strong competition! I love your style. That outfit is incredible.” She turns to Hope. “Your makeup is amazing. It must take you ages to get ready.”

“Getting my look perfect is really important to me,” Hope replies. Lottie bats her eyelashes and winks in my direction. She smiles unreadably.

“How about you?” I think. I’ve gone for a more natural look than the two of them. That is to say, I’ve used foundation, blush, mascara, filled in my brows and contoured. Not so natural after all, but if it managed to be imperceptible to Lottie it must have been working. 

“It’s so important to go all out,” I say. 

“I think so. You only get one chance at a first impression, after all.”

“I wish I was as brave as Lottie with my look, but I try and keep my style classic because of my work,” Hope confessed. 

“It’s not just a look to me,” Lottie interjects. “I’m a makeup artist, which means going all out is a great way to show off my skill. it’ s not exactly the best career to meet boys, though.” She sighs dejectedly. Hope turns to me and asks about my career. For some reason I feel reluctant to share. 

I clear my throat. “I’m a musician.” The two of them glance at each other and back at me. I wonder how I should elaborate. Should I tell them about my classical training as a cellist and how I self taught myself to play electric guitar and bass? Should I tell them the genre that I want to exist in the most. No, I decide. I’ll cut to the chase and call a spade a spade. Everyone considers me “a pop singer.”

“So you’re looking for someone to help you hit the high notes?” Lottie says, eyebrows raising in amusement. She’s cut short as a head peeks around the door. We all watch the next person scurry in, seemingly unaccustomed to walking in heels. 

“Hi! I’m so glad I’m not the first one here,” she says, clasping her hands together. She’s a cute girl with a petite build. She reminds me a bit of Anne of Green Gables with her long red braid, big blue eyes, and flushed freckled cheeks. Hope welcomes her over and she approaches gingerly *no pun intended*, hugging each of us in turn. “I’m Hannah!” She curtsies in her periwinkle two piece bikini. She’s a 21 years old Social Media assistant from St. Albans who’s writing her first novel. I make a mental note not to piss her off this season. “I guess you guys didn’t hear me come in. Did I miss any good chat?”

Hope shakes her head. “We were just talking about getting to know the boys.” It’s funny because I don’t remember that ever being part of our discussion. “I don’t know about you guys, but it feels like I’ve been single forever.”

“It’s so nice to hear someone else say that. I thought it was just me,” Hannah agrees. She pouts slightly and bats her long eyelashes. Lottie watches her closely with an empathetic smile. 

“What about you Raven?” Lottie pipes in. “You’re gorgeous. How come you’re single?”

What brought me to Love Island? “The issue I find is that my relationships just never end up getting serious,” I explain. I leave out the key detail that I am the one who flees when things begin to look too good to be true. 

“Oh my gosh. I know what you mean! I think I always put my career first, so nothing ever has the chance to develop,” Hope explains. 

“I was starting to feel like all my relationships were cursed,” Lottie admits. “I’ve had liars, cheaters, men who think ‘getting ready’ just means two squirts of aftershave…”

“Like, where are all the good men out there,” Hannah agrees. I hold my tongue. Maybe they won’t think I’m such a good girl if they know about my track record. 

“Books always make it seem like the right guy is just going to appear if you wait for him, but I guess mine never got the message,” Hannah states bitterly. She seems like she’s waiting for her Prince Charming. I learned long ago not to believe everything in fairytales but if she can keep hanging on to that child-like hope for longer, more power to her. It’s sweet, I think. I pat her on the shoulder. 

“Maybe you’ll find your prince this summer.”

“Oh gosh, I hope so!”

“We’re all here because we’re single. We should help each other find the right guy,” Lottie proposes. She smirks, or perhaps this is simply her resting expression. “I feel like we’re going to be this team of awesome women all looking to get each other coupled up. I don’t want to end up fighting with you guys over some man.” I nod along with the other girls, but I know that if I want to win this I need to look out for number one. Part of this is not being blatantly obvious about something that should already be abundantly clear. For example, claiming to be all about putting the girls first when I know we’re competitors. 

“I’m all about putting the girls first,” I lie. I’m interrupted again by the click of heels approaching. She must be walking a vengeance. She pops up in the doorframe and smiles a perfect cherry red smile. 

“Hello ladies. I’m Marisol!” She’s wearing black louboutins with a black off the shoulder bikini and a low waisted black bottom. Her hair is an ombre from dark brown to blonde. She looks me up and down, wearing thick rim glasses and fire engine red lipstick. She’s confident, no doubt. Her style is something like a mix of Amal Clooney and your hot Spanish teacher. She glides into the room and air-kisses everyone on both cheeks. Hope compliments her name and she shoots her a wink. “Thank you! I see you’ve all met already.”

“Not at all! Come and chat with us!” Hope insists. She gestures toward me. “I’m Hope, and this is Raven.”

“We were just saying it’s important that the girls support each other,” Lottie explains. “Raven was just saying she’s a total team player.” Marisol nods with every word, her expression becoming analytical. 

“I respect that we should be friends, but I go after what I want,” Marisol states. “I won’t compete for the sake of it, but if I see someone I like…” she trails off, realising the other girls are watching her. I certainly am. I respect her. She’s direct. Maybe I should’ve been more direct about my inability to commit. “Look. I didn’t come here to make enemies, but I’m not going to miss a chance at love because of someone else’s feelings.” It’s a no for me there. I get the sneaking suspicion she is the type who will pursue someone who she knows to be in a relationship.

Hannah is quite the opposite. She describes herself as cowardly in dating and the antithesis of Marisol’s hardcore nature. I find it ironic that a poet should be so delicate and soft spoken in a career that is so generous with words. When Hope reminds her that she’ll have to share a bed with someone who is practically a stranger while cameras watch, her expression instantaneously changes to fear defined. Maybe this experience will make her braver. 

It hasn’t been 10 minutes in the villa before someone mentions champagne and I already feel my nostrils flaring. It’s 11:00 am and these women want to drink already? What the hell will they be on about when this show _really_ gets started?

My main takeaways from these introductions and small conversations are as follows:

Marisol is addicted to coffee (standard law student). 

Hope is a businesswoman. 

Hannah is the girl next door. 

And Lottie is the girl next door who practices witchcraft, will sacrifice your dog, and is obsessed with girl code. 

Just as we are all heading out to find the alcohol (whoop whoop) Marisol hears a sound. We freeze in our tracks. “What was that noise?” she asks. 

Lottie grins. “I might have an idea…” She checks her phone. “Guys! I got a text!” The girls are all jumping around excitedly, but I wait for Lottie to read the message while wondering where exactly she has been holding her phone because I don’t see any pockets… Lottie finally reads the message aloud: _“Girls, it’s time to meet the boys! There’s five sexy men waiting to meet you on the lawn. You’ll take it in turns to make an entrance and pick a boy.”_ She takes a deep breath. “ _But don’t relax once you’ve coupled up! The boys all stay up for grabs until every girl has chosen. Will the next girl out steal your hunk and put you on the bench? #picknmix #standbyyourman.”_ I’m praying to not go first in case one of the other girls thinks to steal my guy from me. I would much rather be the one to thieve. 

I feel my phone vibrate and remove it from my thigh strap. “ _The girl going first will be...Raven!”_ Funny they should text me that. I reckon I could have gone either way even if it hadn’t been me. Who would check? All the other girls turn to look at me and wish me good luck.

I make my way down the path nonchalantly, taking my time to give the boys a glance over. Of course, it’s also to let them get a good look at me. I’m sure they won’t mind waiting. There are five gorgeous guys standing down there in a line on the lawn, waiting to meet the one. Hopefully, I am the one for somebody here. From a distance all of the guys look pretty unique in some way or another. They’re all on the taller side, though some appear short simply by comparison. Anything goes for me: I’m only five foot five, so I’m not exactly searching for the Burj Khalifa, if you feel me. 

I stop dead, leaning my weight into my right hip. They’re all rather good looking up close. It’s time for introductions, I gather. I scan down the line one-by-one. 

“Alright,” one of them says. He steps forward, yanking the band of his navy blue swim trunks up. He’s pale and rosy with pitch black eyebrows, yellow stubble and yellow low cut hair. I’d like to assume that this bloke didn’t pay a professional for this dye job. 

His body is toned and he is about 5’8 which lends him a more stocky look. A voice in the back of my head tells me that he’s the first cousin of the Hemsworth brothers. I note two large tattoos on his body. One on his right arm looks like some sort of piston with gears or some sort of heavy machinery. The other on his leg is beyond me but seems otherwise related to blueprints for some machinery. I cross my fingers that these tattoos were not simply drunken mistakes and smile at him. His green eyes meet mine and he smiles as well. “My name’s Gary. Nice to meet you,” he says. 

“Nice to meet you Gary!” I say. “My name is Raven.” He looks like a nice, normal bloke. I decide that if no-one else catches my eye I may go with him. There are still four more guys to go, luckily for me. I turn my attention to the next boy. 

He’s about 6’2 with broad shoulders, large biceps, toned calves, and washboard abs. His skin is a beautiful cinnamon brown, smooth and unscathed above his enormous muscles His geometric black and grey shorts have ridden up around his thighs. I smile at him as he runs his hand through his undercut. He gives me a small smile in return, his light brown eyes giving me the one over. I smirk at that. “Hi, I’m Noah.” He doesn’t say anything else. I guess he’s the strong silent type. I mouth a quick hello and he shoots me a quick wink before I move on to the next guy. We’ll see where that goes, I suppose. 

“Hi beautiful!” I hear a Northern Irish accent and, lets just say, I’m intrigued. The next guy is about the same height as Gary, perhaps 5’9. His hair is red and shaggy and he has stubble. His eyes are a gorgeous emerald hue and his arms hairy. He’s attempting some sort of smolder as he stands with his thumb tucked into the band of his skyline pattern swim shorts. Somehow he looks both 30 and 18 at the same time. “I’m looking forward to making a connection with you.” I smirk. That’s bold of him to say. I tell him it is nice to meet him, keeping it cordial despite the sneaking suspicion that his arse itches. Look, you never know!

The next boy is a about 6’2. He’s fit, almost like a greek statue level of fit. He smiles at me with a hint of shyness and waves before placing his hand on his hips. His cornrows are neat and his dark brown skin almost shimmering beneath the sunlight. His red shorts don’t hurt either. He looks a bit familiar to me, but I can’t put my finger on why. “Girl, you’re like winning all four major golf tournaments in one year…”

“What?”

“Because you’re a grand slam!” I laugh a bit despite myself. I don’t love his chat, but his body might save him. If I’d come here just for fun, perhaps. I won’t rule anyone out, at this point. Except for Rocco. There’s something about that lip bite that isn’t hitting. “Oh yeah, and my name is Ibrahim.”

“Nice to meet you, Ibrahim,” I reply. The next guy steps forward before I can so much as finish my sentence. I turn to him. My heart flutters at the sound of a scottish accent. 

“Hey gorgeous, I’m Bobby.” He extends his hand, which I accept. His hands are soft and fit with mine perfectly. I look up into his amber eyes, beneath long dark eyelashes, and feel all composure I had before melt away beneath my unbothered exterior. His skin is a golden brown with scattered freckles. He’s not towering over me at just about 5’9 or 10. His dark brown hair is in a neat dreadlock fade undercut. 

His body is less toned than the others––perhaps more along the lines of Michaelangelo’s statue of David––but when he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun his abs nearly reflect the light directly into my eyes. Despite his sharp jaw he has a boyish face and a youthful glow. He smiles at me coquettishly with deep dimples, his cheeks and ears flushed a beautiful rose; however, his perched dark brows, one higher than the other, tell me he’s a mischievous one. I reckon I can get just as cheeky as he’s willing to throw at me. I look him up and down. He’s wearing metallic purple trunks this time. I grin. Fashion is adjustable, not a deal breaker. “Saving the best till last, were you,” he says, his voice dark but not too deep. “I’m like the sweet dessert at the end of a main course of beefcake.” I burst out laughing, though I can’t tell if it’s the joke or just my nerves. 

My attention is only on him now. He inches a bit closer. “Are you saying you’re sweeter than these other guys,” I ask, holding his eyes. He winks at me. 

“Maybe you should pick me and find out,” he replies, finally breaking my gaze and letting go of my hand. I hardly realized he’d had it. He steps back in line with the others. My phone beeps and I read my text aloud:

_“Raven, now you’ve met the boys, it’s time to find out what they think of you. Please ask the boys to step forward if they fancy you.”_

I look over my phone at all of them and clear my throat. “O.k. boys. Now I get to ask you the all-important question,” I announce. “If you fancy me, please step forward.” I wait for a second, and then the boys begin to move. Gary steps forward first...then Rocco...Ibrahim...and Bobby! I’m spoiled for choice. I’m fairly certain of who I want by now after introductions and the viewing. 

“I know I’ve only just met you all...but i do have to choose, so the boy I want to couple up with is,” I pause, biting my lip as I clench my phone tight in my hand. “Noah.” He smiles sweetly and makes his way over to my side.

“Thanks for choosing me. I wasn’t sure you would,” he admitted, glancing away. I’d surprised myself with my choice. Now that he sounded somewhat happy to have been chosen, I wondered if I’d made the wrong choice. Surely he’d be the type to want to get serious. The other boys all applaud us. 

Gary nods slowly. “Nice job, mate. You’ve taken an early lead.” He smirks. “It’s all still to play for though.” I roll my eyes. Surely I’m not the ‘it’ he’s referring to. Noah grins at me and squeezes my hand subtly. His lips pull into a seductive smile and I feel my heart stop.

“Hi, by the way.”

“Hi,” I reply quietly, averting my eyes. 

“This isn’t how I usually meet people, but I’ve got to say…I’m loving it so far,” Noah says, leaning down to whisper in my ear. The other boys lean towards us curiously. I feel my cheeks growing hot, but I know they won’t see me blush. A part of me wants to ask Noah why he didn’t step forward for me if he’s so fond of how things have gone now. Before I can say anything else, the door to the Villa bursts open and Lottie strides out. 

Lottie scans the boys quickly and raises an eyebrow. Rocco steps forward immediately. She pouts. “One is better than none, but I won’t lie: I was hoping that this guy might step forward,” she points at Noah. But I’m all about putting the girls first, right? She’s lucky we’re live right now. “But I’m glad he didn’t. Raven and I both agreed to put the girls first, and I’m going to respect that. So the guy I want to couple up with is...I’m so sorry, hun. I don’t even know your name yet.”

“It’s Rocco.”

Lottie smiles. “OK, Rocco. You’re with me.” She pulls him beside her and kisses him on the cheek. Noah turns to me, leaning down to whisper in my ear once again. From beside me he seems even taller than before. Maybe six foot four? We’d probably have to get a bit creative what with the height difference and all…

“What do you reckon?” he asks me. I shrug. It’s hard to say really. It’s still early days. I can’t help but notice that Lottie is more gothic while Rocco is more earthy than anything. I wonder if these things can overlap. Then again, Lottie does have a few plant tattoos. I smile up at Noah, trying to stay positive for everyone. 

“They seem like a perfect match.” I smile at Lottie and she grins back. 

Marisol comes out, shielding her eyes from the sun and wastes a couple molecules of air psychoanalysing body language before ultimately picking Ibrahim, who gulps nervously and makes his way to her side. 

Noah smiles. “Ibrahim seemed like a good lad when we were chatting earlier. And you’ve met Marisol already, right? Do you think they’ll work out?” I don’t know Marisol or Ibrahim too well, so it’d be audacious of me to make any bold claims as to their compatibility, but I hum. 

“They look hot together,” is all I can think to say in response. Noah chuckles at that. 

“Don’t worry, you guys! Big up yourselves: your dream girl is just about to walk out,” Noah encourages them. I’m surprised by how vocal he is being. He’s actually really sweet when he does talk! It’s just Gary and Bobby left now. Neither of them seem particularly worried. After all, there are no eliminations on the first night. 

Hope strides confidently out of the Villa and looks around. “You all look so cute in your couples,” she says. “Now, I’m not saying this to be mean, but I’m here to meet the right person…” She shrugs and tilts her head to the side. “I may not be the first to the party, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be stuck with the leftovers!” I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty mean thing to say with two men still standing single in line. She approaches Noah and I. “What’s your name, babes?” she asks, ignoring me entirely. 

“It’s Noah.” He glances down at me. 

“Noah, you are just the hottest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’m, like, melting under your gaze.” She’s flirting with him right under my nose! Or maybe over? A good part of me wants to make a scene and call Hope out on her bullshittery...but another part of me knows that if I stay with Noah I’ll probably hurt him. I try not to react to much and inhale deeply, stepping aside gracefully. 

“OK,” I sigh. “I can see we’re both interested, but you have just as much right as I do.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Hope chirps. “My mind’s made up. The boy I want to couple with is Noah.” 

“So, what does that mean?” I get a text and read it aloud. “ _Raven, Hope has coupled up with your partner, which places you on the subs bench. Please stand to one side.”_ I slide my tongue across my teeth, feeling myself growing irritated with the situation at hand. I shoot Hope a smile with cold eyes. 

“Got to put my girls first,” I say, shooting her a wink. “Good luck to the two of you.” I’ll be getting her back for that later, I’ll tell you that. I walk to the poolside and stand by myself. It feels like I’m in timeout. Suddenly I’m thinking that I’ll be playing this game for one objective only: wreaking havoc. 

Hannha comes out and, despite Rocco nearly stepping forward, she ends up choosing Gary, the only other guy to step forward for her. Tough crowd I suppose. She skips over to him, throws her arms around his waist and whispers in his ear. Gary looks unsure. 

“I guess you and me are the lonely hearts, Raven.” I turn to the voice. It’s Bobby. “Come and couple up with me. We can support each other by writing tragic poetry about how nobody loves us,” he suggests, grinning from ear to ear. I look at my feet. “Just kidding. Unless you’re into that.” He’s a sweetheart. He deserves better, I think. 

I smile back at him and throw my arm around his waist, pulling us hip to hip. “I wanted us to couple up anyway!” His cheeks and ears begin to turn red as he laughs, looking down into my eyes. 

“And that’s why you chose Noah first?” He wiggles his eyebrows. “I’m just joking with you!”

“I am really looking forward to getting to know you.”

“I feel like we’ll be good friends, if nothing else,” he agrees. 

The Islanders all start to chat and get to know each other. I look at Bobby as Hannah receives a text. She reads aloud. “ _Islanders, you’ve all coupled up. We hope you’ll be very happy together. It’s time to get to know your partners, and your options. The first recoupling will be tomorrow. Any Islanders left single after the recoupling will be vulnerable to being dumped. #Switchitup. #clockisticking.”_

“A recoupling already?” Bobby exclaims. “Talk about soon…” That means there’ll be a dumping. No one can be left single because we have an even number of people here, but everyone knows that new people come throughout our time in the villa. Somebody knew must be coming in tomorrow. Hopefully they’re hot. 

“That’s just how it goes,” I state. I don’t think things can get much more complicated than they’ve been within my first hour of being here. Bobby notices me staring at him. He smirks and pulls me close, nearly shoulder to shoulder. 

“Why not take a picture? It’ll last longer,” he teases.

I take his hand and swing our arms. “Come with me. Let’s get to know each other.”

“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” The two of us make our way around the pool and sit on the sun loungers. His eyes light up as he watches me sit down. “If I’m honest, it’s such a weird trip coming in here and meeting all these girls. It’s like, I’ve been her five minutes and already I’m sitting next to the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” I look away, caught off guard. His stare is intense. Is it hot out here?

“Do you mean that?”

“Of course I do!” He gestures back towards the others. “The competition is pretty fierce out here. For both of us. My head is spinning. It’s all so much to take in. How are you finding it?”

“It’s a lot all at once.”

“Tell me about it. I never even thought I’d make it in, and now there’s so much happening all at once,” he looks around the villa. The sound of the other Islanders chatting drifts across the lawn. “My friends dared me to sign up. Actually, I thought I was signing up for a cooking show. Next thing you know I find out I’m in the next season of Love Island UK...so...you picked Noah first?”

“You noticed that, huh?”

“I guess we should get to know each other a bit. Ask me anything! I’m an open book.” I appreciate his invitation. I was hoping he we could get to know each other when I led him over here. I think for a moment. 

“Are you happy we're together?”

“Absolutely,” he says, matter of factly. “Obviously we don’t know how things are going to go, but for now...This is fun. Ask me another?”

“I want to know...what is your type?”

“Ooh! That’s tough.” He rubs his chin. I watch his lips, as they part slightly. “I’m not sure I have a specific type. Everybody I date has something unique about them. But if I had to generalise...I tend to go for girls that are a little out there and don’t mind being the centre of attention. I also once had an ex that was really casual. She didn’t spend ages doing herself up, or topping up her tan. I didn’t realize how much of an attractive quality that was to me until then.”

I raise an eyebrow. Something about this doesn’t sit well with me. “So makeup is unattractive?” Bobby’s face changes as the blood rises up his neck and to his ears.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Women can do whatever they want,” Bobby clarified. I nodded slowly. “It’s just, sometimes my girlfriends would make us hours late at a time to really important events. One time, one of my girlfriend’s threw a flat iron at me when I reminded her that we had to get going for my sister’s wedding and she said she wasn’t done her makeup.”

I snorted. “Sounds like a PTSD thing then. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Yeah, no! It’s fine! You wouldn’t know it,” Bobby said. “Believe it or not, we still dated for a while after that. The final nail was really a hair dryer to the elbow!” He rubs his left elbow inadvertently. 

“That’s so terrible! No one deserves that kind of abuse. Thank you for sharing that with me,” I said, smiling as sweetly as I could manage. 

Bobby grins as broadly as ever and flops onto his back. “I mean, if anything, that story might have given you an idea about my standards for my next relationship. AKA, subterranean.” He shrugs. “I’ve been burned in the past before, so someone that’s loyal is an absolute.”

“Cheater?”

“Cheaters, gaslighters, women who throw things...it’d be shorter to list what kind of burns I _haven’t_ received,” Bobby chuckled. “Hope that gives you some idea about what I’m looking for here, I guess. You?”

“Emotional cheaters and people with wandering eyes, sure. Nothing like yours though.” 

Bobby nods, rubs my shoulder from his seat. “This is fun! I like being interviewed. Ask me one more?”

“I want to know the weirdest place you’ve had sex,” I admitted, winking. 

‘On the Moon!”

“Sorry, what?”

“Well, obviously not the actual moon,” Bobby laughs. I notice the deep dimples in his rosy cheeks. I resist the urge to reach out and pinch them. “One day, though...But no, I was seeing this girl who was studying astrophysics. Anyway, we’d gone on a date to this museum that had a Moon experience, with lunar rocks and, like space dust and that. We spent so long looking around that eventually we got locked in.” He smirks. “Let’s just say that neither of us were gonna waste that opportunity. I wore an astronaut’s helmet and everything!” 

There’s a brief moment of silence as the two of us look at each other before bursting into laughter. Bobby speaks first. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you.” He leans over and kisses me lightly on the cheek. I hear a group of other Islanders laughing somewhere behind me. “I guess we should go and get to know the others a little better, too…”

I nod. “Yeah, you’re right. Chat more later, though?”

“Oh, yeah. For sure.”

Now I’m alone. I can talk to just about anyone now. But who am I going to go for first?

Lottie pulls away from Rocco and heads over to me to ask me how I’m doing. I don’t know how I’m doing. I like Bobby, I really do, but I think I might have thrown him off by picking Noah first and I don’t want to end up hurting him in the long run. But I can’t tell Lottie that. I’ve only known everyone for something like an hour and a half now. “I’m expecting lots of drama.”

“Some of these couples don’t seem like the best fit,” Lottie admits. “We’ll see I guess. The reason I wanted to talk to you is some of the girls were talking about maybe doing something tonight.” 

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Just something so that we all get to know each other better. It’s a bit out there, but...There’s going to be a full moon tonight. The moon’s in Scorpio right now. It’s a very sexy and mischievous time. So I was thinking we should get together underneath it and, you know, celebrate our collective witchy power. Unless you’ve got another idea? I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.” She certainly seems to have thought about this a lot. I’d hate to disappoint her when she’s so excited about this. 

“Let’s celebrate our power under the moon!”

“Great! See you on the lawn around midnight.” Marisol and I catch each others eyes with knowing glances. As long as there are no sacrifices. “I can’t wait to get that energy flowing.” Rocco calls Lottie’s name and she smiles at us before heading back over to him. Now that I’m alone, I’ve got the pick of the boys to chat to. 

Look at that! We’re all coupled up, but we know it’s not going to last. I’m with Bobby, but is he the person for me? Is there a right person for me? Who’s going to be cracking on, and who’s going to fall out? And who’s going to be first to reveal an embarrassing secret? Who will be the first to go home? With a re-coupling on the horizon, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The game has only just begun!


	2. Day 1, Summer Starts Here: Truth or Dare)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Islanders play 'Truth or Dare' and things get a bit messy.

* * *

##  **Day 1, Summer Starts Here: Truth or Dare)**

* * *

All the Islanders are chatting in the garden. I take a moment to look around at the new couples. Hope and Noah, Hannah and Gary, Lottie and Rocco, Marisol and Ibrahim, and me and Bobby. Lottie grins. 

“Wow. Ten hotties alone in a beautiful Villa. It’s like the start of a horror movie,” she enthuses. I swear she’s my spirit animal sometimes. 

“I was thinking it was more glamorous than that,” Hannah mutters. She smiles to herself. “It’s like how all those classic romance novels start. A big house, a lot of eligible young men…”

“And Bobby,” Gary adds, hoisting his shorts higher. 

Bobby rolls his eyes behind his sunglasses. ““Hey, I’m eligible,” Bobby exclaims.

“Are you? I’m pretty sure no-one’s been called eligible since like, the olden days.”

“I’m not even sure what it means, to be honest. I just wanted to be in if everyone else was,” Bobby confessed. 

Noah nods and pats Bobby on the back, nearly knocking him off of his feet. He steady’s him with his hand. “Eligible means single and Gary means that you are a but a wee tot.”

Bobby blushes as everyone bursts into laughter. He pouts and I open my arms, motioning for him to come to me. He enters my arms and wraps one arm around my shoulder. “Well, this tot managed to bag the most beautiful woman on earth,” he declared, pelting the top of my head with kisses. The girls are a mess of ‘awws.’

“So, we’re all here. What’s next?”

“We should all get to know each other,” I suggest. 

There’s a table on one side of the lawn laid out with champagne on ice and ten champagne flutes. Gary heads straight for it. Condensation rolls enticingly down the sides of the ice bucket. There’s a satisfying ‘pop’ and the bubbles spill down the sides of the bottle. Rocco gives Gary a hand. The other boys walk off towards the drinks at Hope’s request. Bobby turns to me, still holding my hand. “What about you, Raven? Want to give us a hand?” Hope looks at me expectantly. Well, it isn’t ‘Friend Island’, now is it? I follow Bobby over to the other boys and reach the table just as Noah is handing round glasses. “Didn’t fancy a girls’ chat?”

“I’d rather be talking to you.”

Bobby bites his lip. “I rate that. I like a girl who’s up for a bit of banter.”

Rocco clears his throat. “Or maybe she’s here to get to know the rest of us?” I cast him an incredulous look. He is certainly one to talk. I turn back to Bobby who scoffs at the suggestion but glances at Noah. 

Gary nods. “I don’t blame you for coming with us, to be honest. Hannah’s already starting to wind me up,” he shares.

“So it’s going to go well for you guys, then?” Bobby mutters. 

“It’s only the first day, to be fair. And she is stunning.But what was that stuff she was saying about this place being like a romance novel?”

I roll my eyes and ignore him. “I like her. She’s really sweet. And anyway, isn’t finding love what we’re all here for?”

“I don’t blame her for wanting that stuff. I guess I’m just more about the real world. Love ain’t all rose petals, you know. It’s about finding someone who makes you toast when you’re sad.”

“Might as well marry Bobby right now,” Noah quips. Everyone turns to him. He says nothing more and takes a long sip of champagne. I laugh. 

“Toast? You can’t win love with toast, my friend,” Rocco sputters. 

I raised my hand in agreement. “Word.”

“I like Hannah’s attitude. That’s what it’s all about, for me,” Rocco turns to me with his signature smolder. “Love should make you write poetry, even if you don’t know how.”

“So, love is like my old English teacher?” Noah glances away, mildly embarrassed. Everyone laughs. 

“My man Noah coming with the one-liners!” Bobby cheers. He jumps up and down excitedly. “I think you know you like someone when you check to see if they laugh at your jokes.” 

Noah looks thoughtful. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt anything like that,” he admits. “Maybe I’m not the romantic type.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Seems like we all think love is something different anyway,” Ibrahim reassures him. “What do you think, Raven? Which of these boys has the right idea about love?” 

I shrug. “For me, I want someone who’s funny and playful, but mostly just who loves me.”

Bobby pulls me flush against him again. “That’s what I’m talking about! If it’s not fun, what’s the point?” I catch Noah’s eye and he smiles at me shyly. 

“I hate to break up the party, lads,” he says softly. He glances at me and winks subtly, “And Raven.” Bobby seems to be the only one who notices. His jaw clenches. “...but shouldn’t we take some of these drinks back to the girls?” The boys fill the glasses up and walk back to the others. We make our way back and Noah hands around the drinks. The sounds of glasses clinking is followed by quiet as everyone drinks. Mid sip, Gary nearly chokes on his drink, leaning forward to catch droplets slipping the corner of his lips. We all look at him.

“Guys! I got a text!” He exclaims. “ _ Islanders, it’s time to find out who’s hot under the collar, and who’s playing it cool. Head over to the firepit to play a game of Truth or Dare.”  _ Everyone is thrilled as we chug the last of our drinks and book it to the firepit bench. There are two stacks of cards set out by the firepit. One stack is marked ‘Truth’ and one is marked ‘Dare’. 

I sit between Gary and Lottie in the middle of the bench at Lottie’s request. Ibrahim sits to Lottie’s right, then Marisol, Rocco, and finally Bobby. To the left of Gary is Hannah, then Noah, and then Hope at the end. 

Hope snatches the cards up from the table. “OK, is everyone ready? Let’s crack on.” 

Lottie nudges me and leans over to my ear. “I guess she’s going first then…” I like Lottie. She speaks my mind and it’s clear that she trusts me, but there’s no denying that any words spoken out of turn make their way back around at a later point in the season. 

“Someone had to go,” I reply. 

Lottie raises her eyebrows. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“OK, I choose ‘Dare’,” Hope announces. She reads the first card over first, her mouth agape for a moment. Everyone shifts uneasily. “ _ ‘Give a foot massage to one of the other Islanders.’ _ ” Hannah gasps, seizing Gary’s arm and turning her face away. 

“Wow! Getting right in there,” Bobby exclaims.

“I’m definitely choosing truth when it’s my turn,” Hannah declares. Bobby grins and turns to her. 

“What? And miss out on all the fun? ‘Suck someone’s toes’ might be in there too!”

“Gross!”

Hope clears her throat and continues speaking. “OK, well I think it’s time to get this person out of his shell a little bit. Noah!” Noah’s face instantaneously becomes one of fear. He stares straight ahead at nothing in particular. 

“Come on, big man. Get those piggies out!” Bobby encourages him. Hope takes Noah’s foot in her hands and begins to rub her thumbs up and down his sole. She slides her fingers between Noah’s toes and he sighs as though he is enjoying it. I’m beginning to feel as though I’m intruding on a very intimate moment. Hope looks like she’s really getting into it. I just sit back and observe. 

“Well, this is already the weirdest holiday I’ve ever been on,” Gary mutters, relaxing in his seat. Once that’s over, Hope finds her place beside Noah and points in my direction. 

“Let’s keep things lively. Raven seems like she’s up for having fun,” she suggests. 

Bobby nods, and turns to me. “You’re up! Truth or Dare, Rave?” I pick dare. “Yes, Raven. Go big or go home.” Hope picks the next card up from the pile and reads it for us. 

“OK, the dare is… _ ’Take a selfie, and text it to the hottest Islander!’” _

I have half a mind to send it to myself, but I don’t want anyone to think I’m serious. I glance around. Just for the sake of drama I could pick Noah, but if I’m lucky (or unfortunate, depending on how you see it) I’ll be spending the next month with all of these people. Truthfully, I’m sure of who I’m picking from the moment I hear the prompt. I’m not one for a sultry and seductive type of photo. I smile goofily and stick my tongue out with a wink, snapping a couple photos of myself before choosing the best one. Perfect. 

“Take your time, Raven,” Bobby says, his voice wavering. As much as he tries to hide it, he’s a jealous one. I send the message and immediately his phone beeps. He opens the phone message and sees my photo. He smiles and quickly saves it. “Thanks for choosing me, darling! I can’t believe you think I’m the fittest person here.” He runs his hand through his hair. 

“Believe it, gorgeous.” Now it’s my turn to choose who’s next. 

“I’m making this my background now.”

I shake my head and lunge for his phone. “Wait a minute! I didn’t know you’d do that. Lemme take a better one, then!” I insist. Bobby laughs and shoos me off, turning the phone to me and the others. 

“Now getting a text will be even more lovely!” Bobby teases. Lottie nudges my arm and winks before pointing in Noah and Hope’s direction. She’s looking at him expectantly as he goes through his own phone. They snap a photo together. I can only assume she wants to be his background as well. 

“Why don’t you choose one of the boys, Raven,” Hope suggests. She gestures around the crescent formation. 

“OK.”

“But don’t choose Noah,” she snarls. “I think me fondling his feet was probably enough excitement for one day.” I shoot her my most pointed glare. She sure is territorial over a guy she has known for less than three hours who she  _ stole  _ from  _ me _ . I turn to Noah. 

“You excited, hun? You look a bit bored, I’d say.” I hum dramatically. “Shame you’re on such a tight leash or I bet you’d have a ball.” I see Lottie smirking out of the corner of my eye as Gary holds in his laughter. Marisol is struggling not to smile. I turn back to Hope. “I’ll choose who I want to choose and you won’t take a tone, thank you.” I dismiss her with a movement of my hand and scan the participants. “I think Ibrahim should go next. We haven’t heard much from him yet.”

Ibrahim picks ‘Dare’ and has to do a sexy dance for someone other than his partner. He chooses Hannah and she turns beet red from embarrassment. The next to go is Marisol and she chooses ‘Truth.’

“ _ Have you ever kissed someone of the same gender on a night out?”  _ Marisol reads. She looks around the group. “Yes, of course.” Hope’s face contorts into one of disgust which she quickly disguises with a veil of nonchalance. 

“My friend Persia is always snogging everyone on the dance floor, girls, lads…”

Marisol shakes her head. “No, I mean I actually like to meet girls on nights out.” 

“Sorry, Marisol. I didn’t mean to imply you’re like my friend who just snogs anyone,” Hope apologizes. Note to self, today is Hope’s first day learning of people from the alphabet mafia. 

“Well, lots of people do like to experiment, especially on nights out when inhibitions are down, but I’m genuinely interested in women, just as much as men,” Marisol explains. She sighs. “I actually get more nervous talking to girls, for some reason. If I meet a really beautiful girl, I get a bit tongue-tied. I’m good on the dance floor, so I end up feeling confident, like I could make the first move.”

“And then you end up tongue-tied, but not from talking.” Rocco smirks. 

“Yeah, by that time I can tell if she’s on my wavelength and interested.”

“That’s boss, Marisol. It’s hard enough for me with only boys in my dating pool,” Lottie says. Marisol gives her the once over. I wonder if she is attracted to any of the girls here. It doesn’t seem much like it given her natural banter with everyone. 

Bobby smiles. “I feel kinda reassured knowing Marisol gets nervous talking to girls the same way I do.”

“Well, men usually come to me, so it’s simpler,” Marisol confessed proudly. “But I could easily see myself in a long-term relationship with another woman. Am I the only one?”

“No, you’re not the only one. I’ve never gone on an official date with another woman, but I’ve had a crush on a lot of them,” I admit. “I think regardless of gender I would date someone if I thought they were right for me.”

“That’s really what it’s about for me. I just see the person, not so much the gender.”

Gary nods, his face oddly determined. “One time my mate was standing right in front of me and I didn’t see him. There were too many fit birds around.”

Lottie laughs. “Gary can literally only see fit women. Otherwise, he’s in the dark!” Marisol, Bobby, Ibrahim, Noah and I join her in laughing. When everyone calms down a bit Marisol picks Bobby to go next. He breezily picks ‘dare’ and Hope picks up a card. 

“Oooh, it’s a good one,” she sings. “‘ _ Kiss the Islander you fancy the most’.” _

“Oooh...” Bobby runs his hand through his hair. “I feel like I’ve only just met you all, but I don’t even have to think about this one.” He walks directly over to me and leans in for a kiss. I stand up and pull him toward me, running my hands through his hair as we kiss. Everyone else cheers as I deepen the kiss. Bobby nearly tackles me and we only stop when I suddenly find myself sitting back down. Bobby blushes and averts his eyes as the boys all stand and jump around him, whooping and hooting as they smack him on the back in congratulations. “Wow! That was amazing. I love that you went there...”

The game progresses. Hannah shares a horse stable hookup, Lottie sucks on Noah’s earlobe, Noah reveals a surprising fear of grasshoppers of all things, and Hope shares which areas of her body are the most...easily stimulated? Suddenly I hear my own name. 

“I choose Raven!” Rocco declares. We’re all out of cards by now, but my assumption is that someone will come up with their question or dare on the spot. 

I accept and choose ‘Truth’ this time. 

“Have you ever hooked up with someone you knew your friend fancied?”

I shake my head rapidly. “I’d never do that to my friend.” Lottie and Hannah second this. It’s how I really feel, but just because my friend likes them doesn’t mean that they like them back. Then again, it’s bold of Hope to ask something like that knowing that she stole Noah from under my nose. Then again, we’re not friends and I don’t see our relationship evolving to that point in the foreseeable future. 

Bobby frightened Hannah off with his toe talk and Marisol followed her, effectively causing the group to split off. As everyone walks away, Gary hangs back. “Raven, do you fancy a quick chat in a minute?” I shrug and accept. We settle ourselves on the daybeds and look around the Villa. It’s still a beautiful day. The afternoon sunshine glints on the pool.

I can see Marisol and Hannah chatting on the lawn, and some of the boys have already started working out in the gym. Gary flops down beside me. “Fancy a chat? I’m sure Bobby won’t mind.” I nod. 

“I’d like to get to know you better,” I reply. 

“Same here. That’s why I came over. I’m the kind of guy that says it straight,” Gary turns his body towards me. “I thought there might be a little bit of chemistry building up between us, and I just wanted to know…Am I the type of guy you’d usually go for?”

“I don’t really have a type,” I answer. It’s true, I don’t, but usually they end up being nice guys who dated the wrong girl. That is their one shared trait.

“I suppose that’s good to hear.” He smiles at me, hopeful. I can tell that he’s interested me. He made that abundantly clear at the beginning of the day when he was lined up with the other men. I should keep Gary in my corner, I think. After all, things have been becoming too comfortable with Bobby. I’m too comfortable with him too soon. Or maybe this is me doing what I always do, abandoning ship out of fear of something hideous or worse, something beautiful. 

“Let’s see how things go,” I suggest. 

“Works for me. I’m happy to see how things progress.” We’re suddenly interrupted by the sound of a phone somewhere in the villa. 

Marisol hollers from across the lawn. “Text! Guys, I got a text!” All the Islanders gather around as Marisol starts reading. “ _ Islanders, tonight there will be a welcome party. Please get ready to say hi to a very special guest! #drinksonus, #droppingthebombshell.”  _ Another girl or guy has everyone anxious but I can’t help but feel that maybe they’re the least of my worries.


	3. Day 1, Summer Starts Here: The Eleventh Islander)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the newest addition to the Love Island UK crew. Who will they choose at the recoupling and who is at risk of elimination?

* * *

##  **Day 1, Summer Starts Here: The Eleventh Islander)**

* * *

In the dressing room, the girls are getting ready for the first night party. The whole room is filled with glitter spray and the smell of sunscreen. 

“I think it will be really nice to have another girl in the Villa,” Hope says. She has changed into ripped white jeans and a satin cheetah print tie front crop top with yellow flats. “More girls, more power, right?” Lottie rolls her eyes, apparently disagreeing with the notion. 

“Oh please,” she grumbles as Hannah zips her into a black long sleeve mesh insert vinyl dress. Her heels are four inches tall, but she still doesn’t surpass Hope in height. She is a fitting 5’4. I smile and finish doing my eyebrows. “If the situation was different, sure. But here? You know if a girl comes in now she’ll be the hottest person any of us have ever seen and she’ll be out to get what  _ she  _ wants.” Lottie turns to Hope. “And what if she wants Noah?” Hope’s face falls. 

Hannah squeaks and straps on her golden sandals. “Hearing you say that makes me nervous.” She is even shorter than Lottie in heels. She’s probably 4’11 without them. She’s wearing a rose pink lace bralette mini dress. It’s a cuter look in comparison to everyone else's. “I just want everyone to meet their perfect match. But what if her perfect match is the same as mine?” ‘ _ Polyamory _ ,’ I think to myself with a wicked smile. 

“We need to get used to it.” I say, standing up and smoothing out my outfit. “It’s all part of the game. Let’s just make sure we’re the best at playing it.” Marisol agrees, but I see the alarm on the other girls’ faces. She is wearing a white blazer dress with an enormous black belt snug against her waist with black heels and nothing left to the imagination on her torso. After a while of talking about breakups and bad exes, we get to the discussion of whether or not we’d do take backs. 

“I could never take someone back. Could you?” Marisol asks. I shake my head. Not just because I’m fickle when it comes to love, but also because I proudly hold grudges. Hell no.

“No, I only give people one chance,” I admit. “If we broke up, it was probably for a reason, innit?” Hope and Hannah’s jaws hang as they look at me. I don’t find anything I said to be particularly surprising. To each their own. 

Lottie grins at me. “Look at you with the attitude. I don’t want to get on the wrong side of you.” She pouts for a moment. “I trust my instincts and I know one of you will end up kissing a guy I like.” She winks at me. “Not Raven though. We’re sweet as can be.” That and I have no interest in Rocco.

Hannah smiles at me. “What about you, Raven? Where’s your head at?”

I smile and turn to the group. “I’m really into Bobby.” I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about us, but I also don’t want to come out and say that all of their partners are interested in me. No, where’s the fun in telling them? They’ll just hate me for existing. Marisol hums and applies another coat of her lipstick. I turn to her. Seems like she wants to get something off of her chest. 

“I’ve been trying to keep and eye on all the boys and see if I can feel out what they’re like,” she shares, perching her hand on her hip and twirling in front of the full length mirror. “I think Bobby’s type is someone who’s really out there and full on in their personality.” It’s almost like she listened in on our conversation earlier. She peers over her glasses. “You definitely give me that impression. Also, I’m pretty sure he wants someone who puts the group first. Does that sound like you?”

I’m not trying to make enemies here and there is no right way to say you aren’t a team player, so I’ll pretend. “I think so. We’re a team now.”

“Maybe it’ll work out for you guys then.”

As we all get ready to head out, I ask Lottie to look over my black leather wrap dress and make sure it looks alright. She nods and we walk out hand in hand. All the girls walk out onto the lawn together where the boys are waiting. 

Gary is wearing ripped blue jeans, work boots, a grey shirt, red flannel, and rectangular glasses. It’s an interesting choice considering the weather in Majorca. Ibrahim is wearing a white polo with blue capris and dark brown leather church shoes (with no socks, might I add). Bobby steps toward me and extends his hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of mine. He’s wearing a jeans blue colorblock button up with only three buttons actually done, exposing his smooth chest. His shirt is tucked into khaki bermudas held up by a brown leather belt. On his feet are white vans. It seems fitting considering his personality. He smiles. “Some of the guys were getting impatient. Especially Mr. La La Land over here.” He gestures towards Rocco. 

Rocco is wearing a full suit of blue from his cuff rolled pants to his blue striped shirt to his jesus sandals. The only difference is in his colorful beaded necklaces. “What?”

“You know. That guy Sebastian who sings and plays the piano in that movie? You remind me of him,” Bobby explains. 

“The singing crab who lives under the sea?” Rocco asks. 

“No, that’s different...Nevermind,” Bobby sighs and looks away before retreating to my side. He’s so cute when he pouts. “The point is...Rocco wants us to think he’s laid back, but it turns out he doesn’t like getting stood up.” I smack Bobby’s arm, holding back my laughter. 

“You can’t just read people like that,” I whisper. 

Rocco laughs. “That’s me. I’m happiest when I’m lying down.” He winks at all the girls. 

I clear my throat. “We’re here now. It’s our first night in the Villa. Let’s get this party started!”

Bobby cheers. “My girl! Let’s get on it.” He starts running, pulling me along with him to the kitchen. He grabs a bottle from an ice bucket before darting back to the others. I follow close behind. He suddenly veers off towards the pool. 

“Bobby! What are you doing?!”

“Jump in with me, Rave!” He exclaims, glancing back at me with a broad smile. I take the bottle from him and toss it to Noah before Bobby scoops me into his arms and we careen into the pool. Beneath the water, we make eye contact and he swims toward me. I shudder. Down here it’s just him and I. I can’t hear anything but my own heart beat when he smiles at me. We rise back to the surface like rockets after a while. 

The others cheer for us and pop the bottle just as our heads leave the water. Bobby watches me tread water and laughs. “You’re such a goofball,” I say, splashing him. “What am I gonna do with you?”

“Whatever you want,” Bobby says slyly. I roll my eyes and splash him again. He returns the favor before closing the distance between us and putting his hands on my waist. “Here, lemme help you.” He hoists me out of the pool and onto the edge. I extend my hand for him, but he simply lifts himself up and out, the muscles beneath his skin flexing all the while. My heart begins to beat a bit faster and I can’t get the sight of his flexed arms and abs out of my mind as Hannah and Noah pass us towels to dry off. 

“So, how are you girls finding the Villa?” Ibrahim asks. 

“I haven’t looked around yet, though I’m pretty well versed with the pool now, I’d say,” I admit. Bobby snickers. 

“Me neither,” Gary says. “I was gonna check the place out while you girls were getting ready, but instead I fell asleep in the sun.”

Rocco points up at the villa. “Did you have a chance to look at the roof terrace yet? That’s gonna be such a beautiful spot to sit out and look at the stars. I hope I’ll get a chance to do that one evening with someone.” He looks directly at me. Here we go. Lottie clears her throat. “I meant with Lottie, of course.”

“You’re bold, that’s for sure.”

“What do you mean?”

I shrug. “That seemed like a bit of a line.”

“Of course it was a line! I bet he asks women to go and look at the stars with him all the time,” Bobby exclaims. He’s still smiling as continues to dry himself off. 

Gary nods. “I bet they like it too. It’s silly really. A shipyard at night is just as romantic!”

“It sounds spooky,” I say. “I’d be into that.”

“Nice to know someone is,” Gary smiles. 

Hope rolls her eyes like she’s bored. “Sorry to interrupt, because this is  _ riveting _ ...but I think I’m starting to see why some of you are single.” I wonder if she just enjoys the sound of her own voice or if she is in the mood to make enemies. 

“That’s rich from you darling,” I interject. “What’s your ideal date, watching paint dry?” Noah runs his tongue over his teeth, his chest rising and falling quickly as he stifles a laugh. Hope inhales sharply as if she has never been challenged before. I grin. This will be a fun month, I reckon.

“Pardon?”

“I’m just joking, my love. I won’t knock it until I try it,” I deadpan. I take a long sip of champagne and lean back in my seat. I hear Bobby, Gary, and Lottie snickering quietly. I may not know everyone all too well, but I don’t think anyone deserves Hope’s sass. 

Hope shakes this off but is clearly unsettled. She continues talking, unsurprisingly. “I was expecting better chat than ‘come look at a shipyard with me, baby’.” 

Lottie shrugs and turns to Hannah. “What happened to the old classics? Heeey guurl, do you know how to give the kiss of life?” she asks. Hannah blushes, unsure what to say. “Cos you just took my breath away...you try one!”

Hannah nods. “Heeey guuurl! Are you an overdue library book?” Noah leans forward at this one. Lottie’s face falls. 

“I don’t know, am I?”

Hannah smiles and claps her hands excitedly. “Cos you’ve got ‘fine’ written all over you!” Lottie bursts out laughing. I enjoyed that one. Noah catches Hope’s eye and decides it’s his turn. 

“Hey, Hope. Feel my shirt,” he says calmly. Hope nods and gently touches the hem of his shirt. “Feel that? That’s boyfriend material.” Hope gasps, apparently having lived under a rock for 26 years and never heard that line.

“Oh my gosh! I’m melting!”

Ibrahim clears his throat, ready to go. “OK, check this out...Hey girl, are you a dam? Cos you’ve got me saying ‘beaver’!” There’s an awkward silence. Ibrahim isn’t as smooth as he looks. I glance over at Bobby and his face contorts as his body jerks forward. We both burst into laughter and Ibrahim smiles at me. 

“At least someone liked it.”

“Why don’t you try one, Raven?” Hope suggests. I nod and accept. “Let’s hear it.”

“OK...Hey, Bobby,” I turn to him and bite my lip jokingly while rubbing my jaw. He sputters already. “Stop, I’m tryna use a line on you,” I whine. He composes himself and smiles at me patiently. “Hey, Bobby: I know you like a bargain...So why not come back to my bed, where clothing is 100% off?” Bobby hisses and claps his hands, his face turning beet red. The boys clap him on the back. 

“I love it!” he says. 

Hannah stands up. “I got a text!” She reads aloud. “ _ Islanders, please go to the firepit and get ready to meet your new arrival #newarrival, #turnuptheheat _ .” Bobby pulls me aside on the way over to the fire pit. 

“What’s up,” I ask.

“Today’s been such a good laugh, but I thought we should have a quick chat before someone else arrives and it all kicks off.” He glances away. “It felt like there was a bit of tension during that Truth or Dare game earlier today.” He meets my eyes again. “Was it OK that I kissed you when I did that dare?”

I smile at him and pull him closer by the shirt. “I loved it! We paired together this morning and you kissed me this afternoon. What’s not to like?” Bobby blushes. 

“I never really got into these games when I was younger. I was pretty shy as a kid. When we did Spin the Bottle I always hoped it wouldn’t land on me.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m really better at making people laugh than flirting, I guess. But here you’ve got to do both. It’s like being a teenager again.” He pauses for a second. “Can I ask you, now we’re in private…where’s your head at? What are you thinking about you and me?”

The dreaded question. I sigh. I want to give us a shot. I can feel myself falling for him more and more with every moment we spend together. Even just looking at him I can feel myself losing more and more control. I don’t want to just be friends with him, but I don’t want to hurt him the way I always end up hurting people. “I want to give us a shot, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

Bobby raises an eyebrow. “I’m glad you said that.”

“Huh?”

“I think we’ve got a good connection so far.” 

I shake my head. Didn’t he hear what I just said? “But I just told you that I don’t want to hurt you? That doesn’t worry you at all?”

“We’re clicking, you’re saying all the right stuff, you seem like my type on paper,” he lists off. He half smiles. “And you’re being upfront. I’m afraid too because I really like you and I don’t want to disappoint you, but if we don’t try we might regret it.” He lifts my chin. “But it has only been a day. I’m not making a decision now or anything like that. I want to get to know everyone in here.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I think so. I know I can find it hard to build a connection with someone that’s more than a friendship. I need to be sure I’m with the right person.” We’re interrupted by the sound of Lottie calling us. We glance out at the lawn and see almost everyone around the firepit. Bobby kisses my cheek. “As of right now though, I think it’s clear we’re not just friends.”

“Whenever you two lovebirds are ready,” Lottie calls out. 

I hear the clicking of stilettos on stone as we reach the firepit. “Hi everyone! I’m excited to meet you all!” My jaw drops. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen steps into the villa. She’s wearing an ivory charmeuse plunging v bodice dress with a high thigh split. Her sandals match and she wears gold bands on her wrists. Against her golden brown skin is her long flowing reddish brown hair. Clearly the boys all agree that she is stunning. Bobby whistles under his breath. He is very lucky it is day one. 

“Mate, I know,” Noah whispers to him. He slaps him on the back, nearly sending him flying once again. “My bad.”

Bobby grins. “I guess we’re the welcoming committee!”

Gary nods. “Come on, boys!” The boys gather around the new girl and introduce themselves. She is stunning. The girls convene. 

Lottie stomps her heel into the ground petulantly. “You’d think they hadn’t just met five gorgeous women today already.” I glance over at Bobby. He’s laughing along with the new girl at something. I want my chance to get to know him. I know it’s pretty early, but I already like him. 

Hannah doesn’t mind if Gary chats with her though. She doesn’t see a future for the two of them, but it frightens all of the girls that one of us might be going home so soon. 

“I’m gonna go over there to meet her,” Hope declares. “I bet she’ll be really nice if we get to know her, and we can check up on the boys too. You want to come with me?” Marisol agrees to go. 

“I’d rather stick to my girls,” Lottie mumbles. Hannah nods and stands next to Lottie, but I want to go meet the new girl. There’s no point in icing her out and making her think I’ve taken issue with her. It must be hard coming in here after we’ve all already gotten to know each other. I walk over to the boys, leaving Lottie and Hannah whispering to each other. 

“Here they are! This is Priya, girls!” Bobby says. 

“Were you lads trying to keep Priya all to yourself?” Hope jokes. Or, at least, I think she is. “I’m Hope. It’s so good to meet you.” She makes her way directly to Noah’s side and intertwines their arms. 

“I’m so glad you guys aren’t judging me for gatecrashing your party,” Priya says, casting a glance at Lottie and Hannah. I extend my hand. 

“Hi! I’m Raven! You’re stunning, by the way. We were just saying.”

“You’re so sweet! I was really worried I’d be fading into the background to be honest.” Priya admits. She frowns. “All you girls are so beautiful, and I know I’m slightly older than some of you.” I hadn’t noticed. 

“I wouldn’t have noticed that,” Ibrahim says, biting his lip. Marisol extends her hand as well. 

“Marisol. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better,” she says. 

Gary nods. “Yeah, we all are…”

“I try to be a pretty open person. What do you want to know?” Priya asks. 

“What’s your usual type,” I ask. 

“I usually go for cheeky and flirty guys,” she admits. Funny. That narrows things down quite a bit, doesn’t it? Bobby, Rocco, Gary even. “Usually, I’m the one that struggles to commit.” I nod. I can certainly relate. “I love guys who are fun to be around, but I tend to get a bit scared when it gets more serious.”

“Anyway, everyone seems really sound so far,” Gary says.

“Even those two. They’ll come around soon, I’m sure,” Hope says, chuckling nervously. She points to Lottie and Hannah, who are still chatting by the firepit. Everyone looks over at them. 

“What’s going on there? Why didn’t they come over and say ‘hi’?” Priya asks, her cheeks reddening. I shrug. “I get it. Not all the girls are happy I’m here.” 

Bobby dismisses the notion innocently. “Whatever. Let’s get them over here.” He turns to Hannah and Lottie’s direction and cups his hands over his mouth. “OI! LOTTIE! HANNAH! You coming over or what?” The two of them scurry over awkwardly. 

“Sorry we didn’t come over straight away. We had something important to discuss,” Lottie fibs. She air-kisses Priya on both cheeks. “What did you say your name was, babe?”

“I’m Priya.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Lottie says. “It must be really hard for you to come in when we’re all coupled up already.” I keep quiet and watch the scene playout. I’m not entirely sure whether Lottie means to rub salt in the wound or I’ve read her wrong. 

“Oh my gosh! I love your Aussie accent. It’s so...rural!” Clearly Priya can hold her own. 

Noah steps between the two girls. “Guys, it’s a bit early to be getting into it like this. It’s our first day in the Villa,” he reminds everyone. His voice is even and soothing as always. 

“Sorry if I’m not loving the idea that we’re already in danger.” Lottie scowls. Marisol nods and places her hand on her hip before turning to Priya. 

“I guess it’s time to ask the big question: Have any of these boys caught your eye already?”

Priya licks her lips and looks at her nails. Clearly she has been waiting for this question to arise. “I would say Ibrahim is my type straight away,” she confesses.

“I’m so glad I asked,” Marisol mutters, retreating to Ibrahim’s side. 

Priya lifts her finger and casts her eyes in my direction. “But Bobby has got gorgeous eyes, too.” She shrugs. “Nevertheless, I’m trying not to tread on anyone’s toes.” She shoots me an apologetic smile. 

I smile back at her. “It’s still early days. I don’t mind. We’ve literally only known each other for a few hours anyway.”

Lottie grabs Rocco’s arm. “Rocco, I think we need to have a word.” She drags him off to the firepit. Bobby turns to me and for once he isn’t smiling. 

“Yep. I think it’s about that time for all of us,” he concurs. I watch as the couples drift off to talk to each other. I can already hear raised voices coming from where Lottie and Rocco are sitting. 

After a while, the party winds down and the Islanders begin to get ready for bed. We all get into our pyjamas. I throw on my pink satin bathrobe. I’m not quite tired yet, though, so I decide to get a breath of air before bed. Some of the Islanders are still hanging around outside. I’m sitting on the daybed looking at the view when Bobby sits down beside me in cake print boxer shorts. I’ve never found someone so adorable yet attractive before. My type, generally, has always been the more serious type who lets loose once in a while. 

“Hey, gorgeous,” I say. 

“And hello to you, too,” he says. “It looks like everyone’s getting ready for bed. And, as it’s our first night as a couple...I was thinking about what you said earlier about wanting to get to know each other better...” He sighs and looks away as his cheeks and ears begin to turn red. “I’m a bit embarrassed to ask this, but...How do you feel about sharing a bed tonight?” he blurts out. 

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m so glad you said that!” He breathes deeply. “I was so much more nervous than I was expecting!” He smiles and edges closer to me. A cool breeze drifts over the lawn and we both shiver slightly. It’s getting chilly. “You look amazing tonight. I just wanted to say that.” He takes my hand. “I’m really glad we’re coupled up.” I can feel Bobby’s gaze intensify and we look at one another. My eyes skip down to his sharp collar bones and from there to his chest. There won’t be any privacy in the communal bedroom, but here nobody's watching. The things I’d do with him. This is the best opportunity, if he wants what I want. 

I quietly shift myself closer to Bobby and brush my nose up against his cheek. He laughs quietly. “Hey…” His body is warm. I look up into his eyes. 

“Hey,” I mouth. I reach up to his face and draw his lips towards mine. I coax his chin closer and kiss him. His lips are warm and soft. My skin prickles into goosebumps as his fingers glide over my back. I smile against his lips. There’s a vulnerability in his eyes as he pulls away. His hand flies to his lips. “Everything OK?”

He looks back up at me and bats his eyelashes coquettishly. “I just…” He pauses in thought, frowning. “I know I’m all jokes and stuff when I’m around everyone, but being here with you? It does something to me.”

I gulp. The dreaded conversation. I was at least hoping to get to Day 15 before anyone expected anything from me. I bite my lip. 

“I felt it the first time, too. Like, suddenly there’s something I really care about, and I don’t want to lose it,” Bobby draws circles on my shoulder as we shiver against one another. Realization dawns on his face. “That’s you, by the way. Not that you’re a ‘thing’ or an ‘it’.” I laugh. It sounds like his feelings are starting to get serious and he doesn’t know how to handle them… maybe we’re one and the same?

What if I’m afraid of losing him to my own idiocy? I know he’s a joker, but I’ve never been mature enough to stay when things get serious or tough. All the same, I reassure him, “I get the same. It’s so rare that I feel really strongly about someone. And it’s scary because there’s more at stake if things go wrong.”

“That’s it! Exactly!” Bobby exclaims. He nods. “I really don’t wanna mess this up. That was nice.” He giggles. “I can’t believe we kissed on the first night!” From across the lawn, I hear the sound of a phone beeping. 

“Guys! Come over here!” Priya yells. “I got a text!” Everyone hurries over as Priya reads her message. “ _ Priya, tomorrow you will get to choose one of the boys to couple up with, leaving one of the girls single and vulnerable. #achallengerappears, #girlcode. _ ”

“I knew it,” Lottie groans. Her black lace and mesh lingerie hugs her body as she crosses her arms petulantly. 

“Interesting,” Marisol hums, wiping at her eyes in her two piece purple sleepwear. 

“Look like it’s competition time, ladies,” Hope says. She yanks the waist of her Tiger print pants up and adjusts the straps of the matching spaghetti strap top. 

We head off to the bedroom in our couples and everyone makes their way to a bed. Knowing damn well that Noah and Hope will be up to no good all night given the opportunity, I drag Bobby to the corner bed and throw him onto it. He sits up, alarmed. “Alright?” I hush him and slide under the duvet. 

“I just wanted the corner bed,” I say. His eyes widen. I pinch his cheeks. “You’re a freak, aren’t you? Guess I mistook you for a cutie.” Bobby pouts. No, we won’t be doing anything tonight. Hell, maybe not ever if I chicken out at the next sign of commitment developing.

“Alright,” Bobby sighs, wiping at his eyes drearily. He smiles at me. “Good night, gorgeous,” he says. He kisses my forehead and pulls me closer in his arms. He’ll be big spoon for now, I suppose. He’s slumped within moments, but I have a harder time falling asleep. Maybe I just want to be held by him for a while. I’m afraid to wake up and find him gone.


End file.
